Hurricane Fiona Knocks Out Power in Puerto Rico, Governor Says

Hurricane Fiona Knocks Out Power in Puerto Rico, Governor Says

The storm left landslides and widespread flooding in its wake as it headed west into the Dominican Republic, with conditions too dangerous for immediate repairs.

Heavy rain is expected to continue to batter Puerto Rico.

President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency for the US island, allowing authorities to provide disaster relief.

In addition to the complete blackout for the 3.3 million people living on the Caribbean island, some health centers operating on generators were also affected.

Electrical systems at the San Juan hospital complex have since been restored, the health minister said.

In some areas, it will take days for power to be restored, the island's grid operator Luma Energy said.

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Category 1 storm winds reach 86 mph (140 km/h). No deaths were reported in Puerto Rico, but one person was killed on the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe when his home was swept away by floods.

In Puerto Rico, ports were closed and flights from the island's main airport were canceled.

Several roads are also closed and flooding has washed away a highway bridge in Utuado, in the island's central mountainous region.

Puerto Rico's governor said schools and government agencies will remain closed Monday. Pedro Pierluisi urged residents to seek shelter as soon as possible.

Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico just five years after Hurricane Maria - the worst in the island's history - wreaked havoc.

Three weeks after the disaster, only about 10% of Puerto Ricans had electricity. The national grid is still fragile and blackouts are commonplace.

Torrential rains and mudslides are also forecast for the Dominican Republic as the hurricane moves northwest, with the Turks and Caicos Islands also likely to be affected.